An alarming incident occurred on July 5 when Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputies answered a call in reference to shots fired.
Allegedly, several area men were riding around in their vehicle shooting paintball guns at people.
Marshall Capps was one of the victims in the case and reported he had been shot in the right arm.
While deputies were enroute to the Capps residence, two more incidents were called in to dispatch with the same complaints of paintball shots being fired at people.  One of them was at the Holden Cemetery and the victim was Dan Cast.
Cast was at the cemetery checking on a grave site someone had inquired about when a vehicle entered the cemetery at an excessive rate of speed.  Cast said he heard several shots as they circled around him in the cemetery.  Then he heard another shot and was hit in the thigh with a paintball.  The vehicle sped out of the cemetery and down the road.
Cast went to the Holden Police Department to report the incident, but since it occurred outside of the city limits, it was out of their jurisdiction, however they called it in to dispatch and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department took over the case.  Cast said within an hour a deputy contacted him and he gave a report and was asked to come down to the jail where they had the suspects in custody.  “Apparently, they went on to shoot at four or five more people, mostly in the Kingsville area,” said Cast.
He was relieved they caught the suspects and no one was seriously injured.
According to the sheriff’s report, two of the three suspects had outstanding warrants for their arrests out of Oak Grove.  The three Holden men arrested for the paintball offense were Dennis Gaffney, James Webb and Jessy Stevens.  The arresting officer was  Officer Jeff Parsons and he took the suspects into custody.  The charges included assault in the third degree - minor injury, disturbing the peace, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Sgt. Mike Hanes of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation is ongoing and he thinks there will be more people who will come forward as victims in this case.
The suspects were released pending formal charges.
By Dana Neubert
Staff Writer




The Holden Chamber of Commerce held their regular monthly meeting at Strate’s Drive Inn on Thursday morning.
Bill Lewis announced that because of drainage problems on the Holden High School baseball field, the vintage baseball game would be changed to another, as yet undetermined date. At the time of his announcement, the game’s date change was  only a possibility, but as the day wore on, it became certain that the game would have to be postponed. A possible date for the game would be the Sunday before the Fall Fiesta, but that has not yet been confirmed.
The Fall Fiesta Committee will be having a meeting in July to firm up details for the September event. No date has been set for the meeting.
Dennis Mason reported that the Community Betterment committee has not held a recent meeting but is still working on signs for the city entrances and directional signs for the community high points such as the City Park and the schools, the swimming pool and City Hall.
At the downtown park, newly planted flowers are being maintained by volunteers who are keeping the grass mowed as well. Pat Zvacek said, “The flowers are blooming and its looking good.”
The Farmers’ Market had a good opening and gets bigger every week. There were 14 vendors at the last session. More information can be found on the website at www.holdenmarket.com.
In other news, the Chamber Rodeo is set for July 11 and 12.
There is also an antique tractor show scheduled for downtown on August 16. There will be a barrel type train for children’s rides.
The USO show is scheduled for November with the Vintage Memoirs performing. The duo recreates the memory of the 1930s and 1940s through vintage clothing and period music.
The Sesquicentennial committee is working with the armed forces to bring in heavy equipment for display. They will be unveiling two large plaques bearing the names of Holden servicemen. It has not been determined where the plaques will be displayed but the library was suggested as was City Hall. More information will be forthcoming on this project and the committee is planning to reach out to Holden area veterans to include their names.
The Sesquicentennial committee was notified that the City of Holden would give them the second half of the money they promised to help support the committee’s activities this year, a sum of $3,000.
Bill Dryer presented the Whiteman report, stating that the Mission Support Squadron merged with the 72nd Test and Evaluation Squadron. He said, “It looks like we’re about to shrink.” He said the squadrons are “becoming smaller, personnel wise.” He added “They’re very grateful for all we do.”
Chamber after hours and a ribbon cutting are set for Monday, July 21 hosted by Bill Lewis at Edward Jones, 100 West 2nd Street. The event is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m..
The next Chamber of Commerce meeting will be held at 7 a.m., August 7 at Strate’s Drive Inn.
By Terri Vinck
News Staff


Circulation at Trails Regional Library Holden Branch has increased an incredible 16.70 percent between 2007 and 2008.  The heaviest increases at the branch have been seen in book checkouts by adults and in checkouts of DVDs, according to library director Karen Hicklin.
Hicklin also reports a “very successful” jump in circulation in the whole Trails system of 9.84 percent or 422,633 items for the FY 2008 year.  Circulation increased at all of the library’s eight branches from 2007 to 2008 and since 2003, it has nearly doubled.
The library system serves the residents of Johnson and Lafayette counties and has branches in Holden, Concordia, Corder, Knob Noster, Lexington, Odessa, Warrensburg and Waverly.   The system also includes an Express Branch located in Leeton.
Circulation statistics include the checkout of books, DVDs, cassettes, CDs, magazines, videos, and playaways.  Computer usage statistics are also included.
“Some contributing factors for this outstanding increase include providing materials in popular formats, responding quickly to patron requests, and improving the appearance and comfort of many of our branches.  However, the ultimate credit goes to staff and patrons who encourage our residents to visit the branches to see for themselves the wealth of information, books, and entertainment materials Trails Regional Library has available for them to borrow,” Hicklin said.
More information about the Trails Regional Library system can be obtained by visiting the library’s website at www.trl.lib.mo.us.  The library also offers programs like story times for children.  Information on programming can be obtained by  picking up the library’s most recent programming brochure available at all of the branches.



Another former Holden High School student athlete has been signed to participate in sports at the NCAA Division I level as three-sport standout Ben Graham recently signed a letter of intent to play baseball and continue his  education at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN.
The 2006 graduate of HHS has pitched for Hutchinson Community College for the past two years and has steadily improved his numbers over the time.  In his freshman year at Hutch, the 6’ 4” right-hander posted a 2-1 record and had a 3.20 earned run average (ERA).  This past season, Graham became a mainstay in the pitching staff with a 7-2 record and 3.06 ERA.  In Jayhawk Conference games he was 6-0 with a 2.66 ERA.
In the 67 innings worked in his sophomore season, Graham struck out 49 and walked only 10.
According to Sycamore head coach Lindsay Meggs, “Ben is a proven strike thrower who lives to compete.  The fact that Ben’s pitched in big games for Coach Crookes at Hutchinson was important to me.  Ben is a fighter.”
In his last season at Hutchinson, Graham was chosen honorable mention All-Jayhawk Conference.
While at Holden Graham was not only All-State in baseball, but was also on the All-State football team.  He played basketball as well.
Former Holden Eagle head baseball coach David Riley praised the young pitcher on his work ethic.
“Ben and his family have always put him in a position to play better competition so he could get better.  He set himself up for playing at this level with all his extra work and effort.
“Playing at ISU speaks great things about Ben, his family and the Holden baseball program.  Colleges keep coming back to our program because they know the quality of kid we have in Holden.” 
By Steve Sullins
Editor


Former volunteer assistant coach for the Holden High School basketball program Jonathan Hall was recently hired as the varsity boys’ basketball coach at Ballard R-2 High School in Ballard, MO.
Hall, a 2002 HHS graduate and a 2007 graduate of the University of Central Missouri, will lead the 1A Bulldogs who are a member of the Golden Valley Vernon County Conference.
After Hall’s stint at Holden in 2004-2005, he was the volunteer junior varsity boys’ coach at Crest Ridge.  For two seasons, (2006-2007 and 2007-2008), he was the head middle school boys’ basketball coach at Pettis County R-12 which is located in Dresden, MO.  During that period, he was a volunteer assistant at Knob Noster High School with the boys’ team.
For two months in 2006, he also watched practices and picked the mids of the UCM Mules’ basketball coaches including head coach Kim Anderson.  “Coach Anderson has given me some valuable stuff to use coaching-wise and wrote me a recommendation letter and is a big reason why I got the job at Ballard.”
Hall also thanks Holden head coach Dale Wescott, Jim Newland, formerly of Crest Ridge and Coach Mark Anderson from Knob Noster for contributing to his basketball knowledge as well.